The present invention relates to a housing for supporting fabric being sewn on a sewing machine, in particular the housing forming the cantilevered end of the sewing machine base which accommodates the components cooperating with the needle in order to form the stitch. As is known, sewing machines of the industrial type have a base which, in the region of the feed dog teeth, is shaped and structured in accordance with the operations to be performed. The base may have along its sides additional box-shaped elements designed to broaden the housing itself in a suitable manner and provide it with the most convenient shape. These additional elements, however, are used to a limited extent since they are always fixed in a relatively imprecise manner to the base housing, thereby partially obstructing the movement of the fabric. Also the said additional box-shaped elements in practice cannot be easily adapted to all the additional elements--for example fabric cutters and feed rollers, which are normally provided on the working surfaces. It must also be mentioned that the current state of the art provides housings with a flat surface and housings with a cylindrical surface, but not partially flat or partially cylindrical housings which may be very suitable for particular operations.